Ex-Brazil soccer chief given life ban for bribery: FIFA

Jose Maria Marin of Brazil, one of three defendants in the FIFA scandal, leaves the United States Federal Court in Brooklyn, New York, U.S, December 18, 2017 [Courtesy]

Jose Maria Marin, the former president of Brazil Football Confederation (CBF), has been banned for life and fined 1 million Swiss francs ($997,000) for taking bribes, the sport’s governing body FIFA said on Monday.

Marin is currently serving a four-year sentence in prison a the United States after being convicted on corruption charges related to a bribery scandal at FIFA. He was also fined $1.2 million and ordered to forfeit $3.34 million.

FIFA’s investigation into Marin was linked with the awarding of contracts for the media and marketing rights to The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), CBF and CONCACAF competitions in 2012-2015.

“In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Marin had breached art. 27 (Bribery) of the FIFA Code of Ethics and, as a result, banned him for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level,” FIFA said in a statement.

Marin was among the first to stand trial over what U.S. prosecutors called a sprawling scheme involving payments of more than $200 million of bribes and kickbacks in exchange for marketing and broadcast rights for soccer matches.